


Career day

by The_silent_smile



Series: The not so bad life of the Avengers AKA the few times I wrote fluff [6]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Bullying, Flash Thompson Being A Jerk, Flash Thompson Bullies Peter Parker, Good Peter, May Parker (Spider-Man) & Tony Stark Coparenting Peter Parker, Mentioned May Parker (Spider-Man), Ned Leeds is a Good Bro, Parent Tony Stark, Peter Parker Needs a Hug, Tony Stark Acting as Peter Parker's Parental Figure
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-16
Updated: 2019-06-16
Packaged: 2020-05-13 03:32:36
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,753
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19242955
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/The_silent_smile/pseuds/The_silent_smile
Summary: In which Peter finds it rather difficult to sit alone in class while his classmates show off their perfectly normal parents in their perfectly normal family while he himself sits alone because Ned is sick and May had to go to the hospital to be with a friend.-Or-That time in which Peter realises that he doesn't have to be jealous of little parent-child interactions.





	Career day

**Author's Note:**

> Trigger/Squick warning: Bullying (not physical), a brief mention of past loses, anxiety/anxious thoughts described.

Career day has always been something he'd dreaded.  
Not that he didn't love bringing May to school, show everyone once again just how kindhearted this woman was. He loved spending more time with her really.

But Flash his stares and quick insulting slurs got worse every year, and every year he managed to make it so that May had not the slightest idea that the kid was insulting him.  
And every year his parents would be brought up. And every year it hurt because yes, of course, this day was for a parental figure coming and showing what they did and why exactly their kid was in that school.

And sure, he didn't remember much about them. God, he had only been an infant when it happened. But it hurt none the less. And this year was going to be the worst one yet.

Because this was the first year that Ben wouldn't be there.  
And May had gotten a call the day before telling her one of her very good friends had gotten into an accident. And May wouldn't be May if she wouldn't have rushed to the hospital right away, stopping off to buy a small stuffed animal and to call Peter, telling him she wouldn't be back until Saturday.

And he understood. Really he did. He would've done the same in a heartbeat, probably doing anything in his power to get there as fast as possible and only leave when he was absolutely certain they would be fine.

But that meant he would be alone for three days.

And Happy had told him to only call him if absolutely necessary because God he had called and texted him so much that the man had gone insane.

And Career day would be on Friday.

And Flash would be there to torment him with a smirk that would never leave his face, that made him have to remind himself once again about why he didn't just beat the boy senseless or whip out the mask to show him he was tormenting his hero.

But he'd be fine.

Yup.  
Fine.

So he called over Ned to ask if he wanted to hang out the day before.  
His birthday had come around earlier that month and they still hadn't gotten to build the new lego avengers tower that he had found on his bed, simply screaming to be built. The shiny 'limited edition' sticker on the box confirming his suspicion of who could've bought probably extremely expensive present.

That is if the Ironman wrapping paper didn't give it away already.

Said paper was carefully removed and folded to use later for Neds birthday, his friend would freak out over the wrapping alone if he told him the guy who was printed onto the red paper had gifted it to him.

But Ned was busy with finishing the project they had been given after finishing the one that was due the next week way too early.

And MJ surely wouldn't want to hang out, calling him lame or something similar, her tone of voice telling him she was kidding.

So he ordered take-out.  
And sat on the couch waiting for the Chinese to arrive.  
And ended up walking on the ceiling because the couch was a boring place to sit and who wouldn't want to stick to the ceiling.

And he ate the food alone. Quickly putting on his suit and tending to his self-proclaimed duties far after the curfew May had held him to.

And he came home as the sky tinted pink and orange, scratched up more then he would've needed to be if he had paid attention to what he was doing. The bruise on his jaw and the cut across his nose healing quickly but not quick enough for them to be gone as he put on his usual clothes and swung his backpack over his shoulder.

May wasn't there to worry so he didn't hide the green and purple coloured patch of skin with the foundation he had let MJ buy for him.

The lousy excuse he had used to convince her to buy the makeup hadn't worked and he knew that. But as long as she wouldn't tell him face to face that she knew about his other identity he was not going to admit that he was doing an awful job at hiding it.

And as the door closed, music blasting through his head buts matching his sour mood as he walked down the hallway, down the street, without May towards the school that was filling with kids and their parents.

God this was pathetic.

That thought was confirmed once again as the very first person he saw as soon as he set foot onto school grounds was that of Flash.

His mother had left to talk to a few of her own friends, giving the kid enough time to make Peters day even worse.

"Hey penis, I see that even your auntie doesn't want to be seen with you anymore? Couldn't your best buddy spiderman come with you? Or maybe Stark? Or is he to busy not knowing that you exist to be present?"

The insults were lame and frankly not very creative. He'd heard first graders come up with more cutting insults as the kid in front of him.

But he was already in a bad mood.  
And Flash somehow managed to strike a nerve every single time he tried to pester him with these kinds of things.

Thought he could manage.

As long as Flash didn't go any further.  
As long as he didn't cross the line Peter had set for him then he'd be fine.

"Oh maybe your uncle could finally come back from the dead and that 'business trip' you said he was on and actually be useful."

And there goes said line.

The whole school knew about Ben. Of course, they did. When a kid breaks down in the middle of class and the teacher lets them leave, stating that 'It's alright. Dealing with such loss is always difficult Parker. It'll get easier with time' and Flash was present, the whole school knew by the time Peter sat back in his chair again.

He'd always avoided the topic though. Even he had boundaries.

Though apparently not anymore.

So Peter ducks his head, fists clenched in his pockets as he walked through the big doors, carefully opening them, avoiding the handles as to not rip the complete door out of its hinges like he knew he would if he'd allow his anger to get to him.

Not that class would be much better.

Because the class was basically cancelled. Every kid got their turn to introduce their parent who would then tell about their profession while the children either looked bored out of their minds or genuinely interested.

Peter just sat in the very back of the class next to an empty chair.  
Ned had called in sick after his mother had forced him to do so.

His friend never got sick. And if he did he went to school because he either couldn't or didn't want to miss classes.

But puking your guts out and demanding to go to school after had apparently been a bit too extreme for his mother.

Besides, the kids sat next to their parents so they wouldn't have been seated together either way.

He really didn't mind listening to the parents. He found most of their professions interesting. Whether that being the profession itself or that it explained why their kid was able to go to that school.

Just the interactions between parent and child were annoying.

The simple things like an embarrassing groan from the kid if their parent made a joke or the small side hug they were given when introduced.  
Or how a mother constantly tried to fix her child's hair, the boy in question trying to duck from underneath his mother's fingers every time she touched his head.

Very simple things.  
And they shouldn't mean a lot to Peter.  
But the reminder that such bonds existed. Such simple things showed they trusted each other through and through.

That they could fight and yell that they hated each other as much as they wanted and eat dinner and laugh with them only hours after.

It reminded him too much of Ben.  
Of the parents, he never knew.  
Of May who was now sitting next to her friend's hospital bed, feeling so much worse than Peter and having every reason to do so.

But that made him feel worse in return.  
Because feeling bad about feeling bad was, as May had told him, 'a normal teenage thing'.  
But he wasn't a normal teenager and frankly the feeling was annoying.

Flash had walked towards the front of the class, his mother following him and standing to his left as the kid started to speak.

"I'm here with my mom. She works at an animal shelter in a parttime job and-" he made eye contact with Peter. "-works as a doctor in the army. My dad-" a smirk tugged at the corner of his mouth, eyes never leaving Peters, as the said kid wanted to sink into the ground and get away from this godawful day more than ever. - couldn't make it because he was called into the hospital to perform a surgery that could determine a man's life. "

" thank you Flash, we only needed information about your mother but thank you for giving us more information. Now, miss Thompson will you please step forward and-"

The teacher's monologue - Peter was sure she had practised it because it had been the same with every parent that was introduced- was interrupted by a loud knock on the classroom door, quickly followed by the said door swinging open in possibly the most dramatic way a classroom door could be swung open.

"Ah, sorry I'm late I had some business to attend to you know the drill... Oh hey, kid!"

The man stepped into the classroom. Everything on him screamed expensive, the suit hugging his body in all the right places, obviously designed specifically for the man wearing it. The purple tie matching the light tinted purple shades balancing on the bridge of his nose.

The whole room suddenly seemed too small, everything that seemed even slightly classy or expensive in a 100-mile ratio now tacky as the man strutted towards the back of the classroom, aiming for the seat next to Peter before he was stopped by the teacher who seemed to snap out of her starstruck state.

"Sir I- 'm sure you're aware but I don't think you're in the right facility this is-"

"A high-school. Yes, I'm aware."

"But you-I- it's a pleasure to meet you but-..."

"Yeah, yeah. Pleasures all mine. I'll give you an autograph later if you want. Now, why don't mister wide mouth and his mother continue while I wait for my turn alright?"

Flash was indeed gaping. Which was quite hilarious considering the whole class was starstruck as well. And he would've laughed wouldn't it be for the fact that Peter himself sat frozen in place as the man took place next to him, leaning back and patting his shoulder.

"Hey, underoos how's May?

"H-hey Mr Stark."

"Kid you alright? I thought we were over this 'oh my god it's my idol faze' come on talk to me you look like you've seen a ghost."

"I- yeah was over it. It's just that you--this- I'm supposed to bring a parental figure."

"Yup. And May wasn't available so you're stuck with me, bud."

Peter was about to answer, what he didn't know really, the situation was just too absurd, as a rather annoying voice cut through their conversation.

"Mr Stark sir excuse me but you know Penis Parker?"

Flash realised his mistake too late as Tony stood from his chair so quickly the plastic thing clattered onto the floor, two taps on his chest and a metallic glove with a glowing and softly humming repulsor formed around his hand. The noise indicated that the thing was preparing to fire, Peter, realised, as the man spoke to the kid in front of him in a dangerously calm tone.

"What did you call him?"

"I-sir I didn't mean to me-"

"repeat yourself. What. Did. You. Call. Him."

His voice was barely above a whisper now, Flash, frozen in place despite the obvious fear written all over his face, his mom and really everyone else in the room had thrown themselves under and behind the tables after the metal hand had formed.

"I called him Penis Parker."

"Yes, you did. Now I am going to explain this slowly so your dipshit brain can process the information.  
Don't say that again. In fact, don't talk to the kid again. If I see you or hear about you do even as much as looking at him you'll be able to witness just how strong this thing is first hand."

With that he lowered his hand, the metal disappearing with tiny, almost unnoticeable clicking noises as he turned around, grabbing the chair off of the ground and sitting down, one arm swung over Peters' shoulder.

"You alright kid?"  
"Yeah, I'm fine Mr Stark.".  
"Call me Tony. We talked about this. Now, why don't little shit and his mom continue with their talk show hmm? Come on people I'm not that scary the thing wouldn't even have blown his head off."

Reluctantly, the other people in the room got up again, all wide-eyed and a few shades paler than when Tony had first entered the room.

And after another minute or so Flash's mother was talking again. Voice now quite as she glanced at Tony who only looked at the kid next to him. cracking a few jokes or making comments about the kid that stood in front of the class.

And all Peter could do was smile and secretly wipe away a few tears of happiness.

And he practically skipped towards the front of the class when the teacher called his name, Tony Stark walking behind him, hand on his back in a comforting manner that felt so familiar it was almost painful.

"Hello, I'm Peter Parker and this-"  
"Kid I don't need an introduction. They all know who I am. Just sit back and let me talk a bit alright bud?"

The last sentence was added with a small pat on the shoulder and a smile. A real one.

Peter had noticed how those had become more common over the last few months that he knew the man.

So he sat back, smiling stretching over his entire face as the man talked.

And when the day was done they walked through the school towards his multi-million dollar car, the kids and parental figures parting like the red sea to let them through.  
Mr Starks hand remaining on his back.

And when they got to the car, Happy complaining about having to wait so long with all these kids taking pictures of the car, he still smiled.

And he only realises that he was crying as two hands settled onto his shoulders and Tony asked him if he was alright, brows frowned in worry.

And he nodded, smile still present, tears only increasing in numbers as he was urged into a hug because yes they now were 'there'.

And the smile and tears didn't leave until he had closed the door behind his back, a short wave, accompanied by another one of those rare real smiles guiding him into the door.

Because only now did he realise that he didn't have to be jealous of the kids who sat with their fathers in the classroom. About the simple yet incredibly important gestures of pure trust that seemed so normal to them.

Because yes, Tony Stark had come in for career day. And yes he was supposed to bring a parental figure.

And yes, the man felt like a father to him. And God did he hope the feeling was mutual.

And as May returned he hugged her like he hadn't seen her in years. And they ate takeout as she talked about her friend and he told her about school.

And that watched a movie, Peter's head resting on May's shoulder.

And only now did he realise that he had a normal family.  
A mother and father, not together but each perfect in their own way.

A normal family.

As normal as could be for Peter Benjamin Parker.


End file.
